6 Things You Really Must Do Before You Pass Away

It’s called a Bucket List

The idea is that there are once-in-a-lifetime things one should do before they die. Or in other words, before they ‘kick the bucket’ which is where the Bucket List term came from. As it turns out, there are several different types of Bucket Lists and they often have themes to them. There’s the American Bucket List which features places to see and things to do just in the United States.

There’s the Extreme Bucket List which covers the gamut of wild, outrageous and borderline dangerous extreme sporting activities that one must try to be able to say they did it. This Bucket List happens to be a bit tamer than that. In it, we will look at the Self-Improvement Bucket List. It will have topics and activities on it that will not only bring you enjoyment, they will teach you new things and add to your present skill set.

1. Pick Up A New Language

Are you kidding? You only know how to speak one language and even that one you have difficulty using in everyday situations? Nowadays, thanks to something called the internet and other forms of new technology it is easier than ever before to master a new language. Some of them you can learn enough to be functionally bilingual over a cup of coffee. Okay, maybe not quite that fast, but you won’t need a full year of night school courses to reach that goal. Plus, imagine how impressed the ladies will be when you order dinner in an Italian restaurant. Well, they’ll be impressed if you use Italian and not Russian.

2. Change Careers

Okay, typically you don’t make a career change unless you’ve either been laid off due to downsizing or you happen to be entering a midlife crisis. That’s why when you do it just for the sake of doing it, your motivation will be different. There’s no pressure to fast track so you can get working and earning right away. The reason why you would consider a career change in this instance is to well, try something new. You know, change it up a touch. The best career changes are the ones that are not considered sideways shifts. You want to do something far to the other end of the spectrum like, going from banking to rocket science.

3. Get Sporty

You probably already enjoy a number of different sports in your life. Only watching them on TV is not exactly the same thing as doing them. If you’ve never golfed before, that’s a fun one to start. You’ll likely find parts of it extremely boring but you always have the 19th Hole to look forward to. You could take up bowling, target practice, hunting, fishing or whatever attracts you to the point where you want to learn more about it because you have developed an actual interest rather than feel obligated to learn more. Plus, if you pick a sport where others have to be part of your team or success, you’ll make some new friends or at least be around some new people you can gamble against.

4. Connect With People From Your Past

Here’s an idea that can be a lot of fun. Why not search out some of the people from your past and reconnect with them? Thanks to the internet and social media, this is a fairly easy thing to do. Sure, there are going to be some people you’ve either worked with or went to school with you would much rather not ever hear from again. But what about those individuals that helped mold you into the person you are today? There has got to be mentors or other significant players in your life you’d like to get reacquainted with. Maybe the years that have passed will make it easier to catch up. Maybe not. You won’t know unless you try.

5. Become A Volunteer

Here’s something you can do that won’t cost you anything but your time. If you’ve never volunteered for anything, a soup kitchen, a local non-profit organization or other charity, you are in for an amazing experience. There is something special about giving of your time to help others or to provide some benefit to people you don’t even know. There are no shortage of worthy causes out there looking for people just like you who have at least a couple hours a week to spare. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself hooked and end up getting even more heavily involved. Helping out is a good thing for others and it’ll be good for you as well.

6. Go Out On A Limb

There are times when the best medicine is to just let your hair down and let yourself go. What we are suggesting here is to just go nuts for a night, a week or whatever. Throw parties, do crazy things, be someone else for a little while. What happens when you throw away all your inhibitions is that you can actually de-stress and relax. Life is too short to be all wound up about those crazy things like paying bills on time and meeting your regular day-to-day commitments. Every once in awhile you should be permitted to just fall off the radar and do something completely out of character.

What Will Your Bucket List Have On It?

As you can see, this list is a bit off the beaten path. It’s not extreme and it’s not something filled with danger and potential hazards. That’s because we chose to play it safe, with the exception of our last item. We’re allowed to toss in a Wild Card so we did. But what will you have on your Bucket List? You don’t even have to be dying in order to start thinking about things to do before you die. What you should be thinking is what do you want to experience in your life while you still can?